years that began with the 2003 recount and reended with re-election of president obama. if you could think of the adjective to describe these years what would it be? >> clearly interesting. challenging. sometimes totally frustrating. but also full of opportunities for the country. there was some good times during the twelve years laced together with some that weren't so good. 9/11, the anthrax scare. there were positive things as well, the election of president obama, i thought it was a positive statement for the country and moving forward in a way that we have tried to move forward out of face -- fiscal as by now we came out of a fiscal as by during the times. it's a hodgepodge during at love different things. i couldn't imagined to have been here during a better time. >> let me get deeper and ask you tell me what was the high point of the entire service? >> the high point was when we can work together. and maybe the single event that process that would embody that was the gang of fourteen. when we put together with john mccain i put together six other democrats and six